WOPX
WOPX-TV is an Ion Television owned-and-operated television station serving Orlando, Florida, United States that is licensed to Melbourne. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 48 (or virtual channel 56 via PSIP) from a transmitter located near Holopaw. Owned by Ion Media Networks, WOPX-TV maintains offices on Grand National Drive in Orlando. History WAYK WAYK signed on December 30, 1985 as an independent station. In 1988, Beach TV Partners signed on WAYQ at channel 26 as a simulcast of WAYK, giving them a signal in Daytona Beach. In early August 1990, owner Beach Television Partners based in Vero Beach filed for Chapter 11 reorganization over an inability to renegotiation loan payment schedule. At the time, the station was only carried part-time on CableVision of Central Florida, Orlando's major cable system. WAYK was affiliated with the Beach TV investor, Harry Handley, who founded the Star Television Network. The network launched in September 1990 only to close down on January 14, 1991. WIRB In 1992, the stations were both sold to Robert Rich, who added more paid programming to the channels. WAYK became WIRB, and WAYQ became WNTO. WIRB continued as a low budget independent station but also aired some NBC programs that were not cleared by WESH most notably Leeza (before it went into syndication) and California Dreams. WIRB would broadcast Florida Marlins baseball, Florida Panthers hockey, and Tampa Bay Lightning hockey to Central Florida from around 1993–1996. In 1996, Christian Television Network would buy WIRB (Paxson Communications, the predecessor to Ion Media Networks, took a LMA on the station at the same time) while Florida Media Broadcasters would buy WNTO (which would be later sold to Entravision and became Univision affiliate WVEN). WIRB then ran religious shows in the morning, infomercials in the afternoon and evening, and Christian praise and worship music on overnights in addition to the NBC programs not cleared by WESH. WOPX In January 1998, Paxson bought the station from CTN and renamed it WOPX (the -TV callsign would be added in 2012) and continued with the same format until August 31, 1998. At that point, WOPX took the Pax TV affiliation along with other stations owned by Paxson. Pax TV introduced family entertainment like dramas, movies, reality shows aimed at the family, game shows and other programming. Originally, Pax TV ran from noon to midnight, but has since reduced its schedule several times. At one point, it ran from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., and there are no original programs on the network, which has been renamed Ion Television. WOPX still fills the rest of its schedule with infomercials and religious shows. WOPX of recent has also carried Tampa Bay Rays baseball and Tampa Bay Lightning hockey from Ion's Tampa affiliate and produced by Fox Sports. On September 4, 2004, WOPX aired the NASCAR Xfinity Series (then Busch) race from California Speedway due to local NBC (who at that time broadcast NBS races) affiliate WESH's coverage of Hurricane Francis. Until the summer of 2005, WOPX had a JSA with WESH, which, during that time, WOPX aired a rebroadcast of WESH's 6 p.m. newscast at 7 p.m.. In July 2005, Paxson dissolved all relationships with other stations, mostly NBC stations—at that time, WESH's news repeats on WOPX ended. On December 15, 2014, Ion reached a deal to donate WOPX-TV's low-power repeater in Daytona Beach, WPXB-LD (channel 50), to Word of God Fellowship, parent company of the Daystar network. Category:Ion Television affiliated stations Category:Orlando Category:Melbourne Category:Florida Category:Channel 56 Category:1985 Category:Television channels and stations established in 1985 Category:Ion Media Category:Former independent stations Category:Former Star Television Network Affiliates Category:Former inTV affiliates Category:Former PAX Affiliates Category:Former NBC Affiliates Category:UHF Category:Ion Television Florida